Thursday, May 2, 2013

TreeTop Walk

After much persuasion, i gave in and spontaneously went for the TreeTop Walk. It took more than a month for the other half to convince me to attempt it because i am clearly a town kind of guy. I do not mind sweating it out at the gym or playing sports but trekking up mud and having insects all over me is the last thing i want to do if i had an option.

There are a few ways to get to the TreeTop Walk but the nearest from my place was the Venus Entrance. There's a free of charge car park there that closes at 7.30pm so my advice is to park there and take your time to walk over to the TreeTop Walk since parking is free. The Venus Entrance car park is also located quite near the main road so it is pretty convenient and accessible.

The terrain is pretty muddy and uneven so it's best to wear a trusty pair of track shoes that you know will not die on you. And if there is one thing on your list that you should bring with you apart from a bottle of water, it will be insect repellent. It slipped my mind that we needed it and i ended up going back with a few mosquito bites.

Apart from blood hungry mosquitoes, there were of course more interesting "objects" that you may encounter. I was hoping to find a snake slithering down the tree branches, or a scorpion on the tree barks. Instead, we only managed to bump into a huge lizard blocking our pathway, a rooster, tons of monkeys and different species of butterflies which i thought were pretty interesting, even though i am no insect lover.

The trail from the Venus Entrance to TreeTop Walk takes about an hour, we walked a little quicker and reached within 40 minutes. Since i have a phobia of heights, i passed the camera to the partner and just walked straight without looking down (yes, i am that scared). Looking at the pictures now, the view was indeed quite spectacular.

The walk back down from the TreeTop Walk is a little more tedious and tiring with steps going uphill and downhill simultaneously. It's difficult to lose your way as there are plenty of navigation signs around. However, take a wrong turn and you might end up at Bukit Timah. I suggest you check the weather forecast before making a trip down to avoid disappointment. Also, it is best to go around mid-day so that you are out of the "jungle" before the sun sets. Again, point to remember - comfortable shoes, water and insect repellent.